Jessica Hortman is a bowhunter, a  wife, and a mom to two boys. She used the COVID pandemic to transition out of a job in Graphic Design and into her longtime passion: taxidermy.We talk about the roles her father and uncle played in bringing her up in the outdoors and encouraging her art. We also talk about her family's hunting culture, the evolving relationship she has with her dad, and the benefits of strong mentors.Check out her personal and studio pages on instagram!Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason ShawSupport the show

Michael Bullock is an adult onset hunter that lives in Montana. He got his start hunting behind a bird dog. In this episode Micael shares the stories of 3 big milestones his daughter experienced in 2021 oh her hunting journey. We also discuss how to get and keep kids interested in hunting and the outdoors, and the importance of meeting your children where they are.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason ShawSupport the show

Tom Reed learned enough about ducks and duck hunting from his dad to go into business trading duck decoys. Both men were chasing their passion for waterfowling on Maryland's eastern shore in 1975. An unfortunate series of events during wintery conditions resulted in a close call. Tom recalls the experience nearly 50 years later like it happened yesterday. It's a powerful story.Whether it's persevering in the face of challenge, cherishing your loved ones, avoiding complacency, or dedicating yourself to your craft, there's a lot to take away from this episode.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Larry Chandler is an upland bird hunter from Tuscaloosa, AL. He got into hunting because of his dad, though he says it wasn't much fun.⁠⁠He in turn has raised his son to enjoy hunting, and recently got his son-in-law into bird hunting.⁠⁠Larry opens up about the the challenges we face as fathers that result from the lessons our fathers teach us. He also shares the work he's doing to improve as a dad and how hunting has helped him bond with his son.⁠Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

I talk with Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of The Nature Conservancy's South Carolina Chapter. Despite growing up on the family farm in North Carolina, she only recently developed a full blown fishing addiction. We talk about what makes a good mentor, introducing children to a conservation ethic, and making space in the outdoors for people who are different from ourselves. And fishing. We talk about fishing.⁠Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Chris Milligan was raised by his stepfather and connected with his father and stepfather through fishing. When Chris was 40, his father taught him how to hunt elk. Chris now connects with his son through hunting after many years deployed during a career with the Marines.We talk about navigating the relationships of divorced parents and the benefits of ⁠two strong father figures along with Chris's work with Combat Warriors.⁠Intro Music: Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Russell Worth Parker grew up hunting and fishing with his dad and his uncle. He took a break from hunting for 3 decades while he served as a US Marine. Now retired from active duty, Worth has taken up writing. He reflects deeply on the how the culture of hunting affects those who participate. Don't miss our discussion on his work and how he's bringing up his daughter in the outdoors.⁠Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Clint Lozier is a Marine Corps veteran and a flight mechanic on a firefighting helicopter. If that's not cool enough, he shares a great story about inheriting his grand dad's shotgun from the uncle who got him started hunting.We also talk about how his mom supported his hunting habit while his dad was deployed and his experience getting his son out in the field.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

I interviewed Andy Ruszkiewicz of @bha_armedforces and Army Special Operations for the podcast this week. ⁠⁠Andy comes from a storied lineage in military lore. He grew up hunting and fishing in Wisconsin with his dad, uncles, and grandparents. ⁠⁠We discuss the two types of Wisconsin deer hunters, reconnecting with his family between deployments, and the interests of young kids.⁠⁠We also touch on how his work with BHA connects service members to the outdoors, work outdoor favorite Black Rifle Coffee Company is doing to give back, and the Accelerating Veteran's Recovery Outdoors Act.⁠Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

nterview Logan Webster, founder of Camoretro, the online marketplace for outdoor enthusiasts. He started the company not as a marketplace, but as a passion project reviewing vintage outdoor gear from his and his father's closets. After listening to his audience, he grew it into a successful business that increases hunter access to quality gear and brings people with a passion for the outdoors together. Logan shares some stories about his early days hunting with his father and the important role his uncles played in his evolution as a hunter. We also talk about vintage gear, starting a business as an underdog, and finding ways to pay it forward in the hunting community. Plus, he invented his own dad joke.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Bradley Soule spent 20 years in fisheries enforcement working for the Coast Guard, INTERPOL, and a non-profit he cofounded called Ocean Mind. Along the way he's faced the challenges of stress and burnout head on and did the hard work of exploring his relationship with his father. We talk about his mom's support of his interest in fish, taking the scenic route into a fisheries career, and the value of emotionally rich relationships.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Mandy Henderson is a cardiac nurse by trade. She deals with the stress of life and nursing through fishing, and posts a lot of fishing pictures on her @onefishynurse instagram account. Also dad jokes!She also writes for Coastal Angler Magazine which I think makes her a local fishing celebrity here in Charleston. I reached out to hear what she digs about fishing.We had a great chat and covered some heavy topics. Among them were coping with death, dying, and divorce. Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

For nearly 40 years, Joe Moran has played a role in some manner or another in the lives of boy scouts, fishing enthusiasts, and his family. These days, he's spending his time up in the Shenandoah Valley.He recently celebrated his retirement in March of 2021 at a shad fishing tournament he had a hand ushering into prosperity 6 years earlier. I'm about to go hunt at a veteran's dove shoot that he also played a part in establishing. Public land managers might learn a thing or two from this episode.Joe shares his ideas on what it takes to be a good steward of our natural resources, and the high honor of stewarding young minds.  We talk about counting fish, sharing tools with his son, and spoiling his granddaughter.Oh and because I said I would, here's a link to the Shadcam at the St. Stephen Fish Lift managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Before Crystal Jackson found success as an Only Fans model, she was a married mom of 3 boys working as an executive in California's tech scene. Thanks to a "concerned parent", Crystal found herself in national headlines when her modeling career spilled over into real life. Ultimately her kids were expelled from private Catholic school.But before all that, Crystal grew up hunting in the desert with her father.Of course I wanted to hear about her journey as a huntress. But I also wanted to hear about how she dealt with this school drama and what she had to say about how her choices impacted her kids.We talk about hunting as part of her native roots, keeping marriage interesting, managing life's difficulties and messaging them to children.I was reminded during this episode that social media is... media. It's one side of a story, curated to appeal to a certain audience. For better or for worse, it will remain a real influence on our day to day in 2021 and beyond.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

I learned about Fisher Neal through Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He grew up hunting with his dad and brothers. Then he took up acting. Along the way, he started a guide service dedicated to teaching people how to hunt. And he does that from northern New Jersey on public land within 70 miles of Manhattan.We talk about how to start a guiding business,  the barriers that keep the hunt-curious from getting started, eating squirrel for the first time, and more on this episode of Hunting Fatherhood!Check out Learn to Hunt NYC if you want to see what it takes to start a guiding business,  and definitely get in touch with him if you're in the New York City area and thinking about learning to hunt.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

When I began hunting, I also began journaling as a way of working through all the emotions that bubbled up along the way. I started crafting a memoir to recount my experience. I even thought I was doing well until I picked up Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner. In it, Lily Raff McCaulou explains how she left an exciting job in New York City, moved out west, and started hunting as an adult. Our life experiences are very different, but I was reading a much better version of the book I wanted to write. When I saw she had beaten me to the punch on references to the Oregon Trail as an introduction to hunting by a solid 5 years, I knew it was time to go back to the drawing board. Lily is a better writer than me by far. I am thankful for that because she challenged me to be more introspective in my story telling. Naturally I figured we could all learn from her and was thrilled when she agreed to let me interview her for Hunting Fatherhood.⁠We talk all about a growth mindset, learning to be comfortable in the world, hunting while breastfeeding, and plenty more. ⁠ Have a listen, and check out her book.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Kirk and Evan Allen are a father son duo that like to hunt upland birds. Evan is in the Air Force, but spent his last tour close to home and his dad. We talk about how they've evolved independently as hunters and how they've grown together as friends through their passion for hunting.⁠⁠This episode almost didn't happen, but I'm so very glad it did. Listen to find out why!Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

I saw a social media Sam made requesting folks share pictures of them hunting with their dads.  More than 100 photos later, I knew that this crazy project might have legs, and that I had to talk to Sam.He's got a great story. After seeing some pretty traumatic things growing up in a rough neighborhood, Sam's father used hunting as a means to shelter his children. Sam has grown asa a hunter and a man since then, and he's raising a family of his own now. We talk all about finding strong friendships through hunting, acting as a father figure when you don't have to, relying on family through life's challenges and more on this episode.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Commander Andy Clayton is a rescue helicopter pilot in the US Coast Guard.He talks about flying rescue missions in Alaska and what it takes to stay safe while hunting in the backcountry. We talk about his motivation for hunting and flying, and what it's like raising girls while moving all over the US to serve his country.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show

Travis Warren likes hunting Chukar so much he started a podcast about it!He's a father, a husband, and an adult onset hunter out of Reno, NV. He shares why he got started hunting and how he progressed to a Chukar fanatic. We also talk about how he's introducing hunting to his girls, the motivation for making hunting buddies, and the clarity of mind that hunting brings.Learn even more about Travis and Chukar hunting at Upchukar.com.Intro Music:Shot Down by Josh WoodwardOutro Music:Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw Support the show